Israeli Fire Suspect: They Gave Me a Kangaroo Court

Rotem Singer, the Israeli youth who was arrested on suspicion of carelessy setting the giant fire in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park, was released on bond, Sunday evening (Israel time). Interviewed by Israel Defense Forces Radio, he said, "It's important that I make it clear that I'm not responsible for setting the fire. They cast the blame on me but I did not confess to anything. It could be that there was a problem of an incorrect translation or they tried to draw out things that I did not mean to say."

Singer added, "They tried me in an unpleasant kangaroo court lasting for hours. I didn't testify and didn't exactly understand what I was charged with." He claimed that evidence was not translated per usual practice and his lawyer [only] spoke Spanish, in which Singer is not fluent. He has been in contact with the Israeli embassy and is looking forward to a visit from his family and a lawyer he can talk to in order to straighten things out.